Shipbuilders Council Announces Shipyard Safety Awards

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipyard industry, today announced the 2020 annual shipyard safety awards. SCA honors shipbuilding and repair organizations with the “Excellence in Safety” Award and “Improvement in Safety” Award each year for enhancement of operations and promotion of safety and accident prevention.

Over the past several years, the industry has seen the total recordable incident rate steadily decline, with the most significant decline seen in 2019. Safety professionals in the industry are continuing to implement new safety policies. The culture of safety and putting employees at the forefront of their focus has meant the industry has been able to adapt to the challenges posed by COVID-19 so far in 2020, while protecting all involved and keeping regular operations up to speed.

“American shipyards are dedicated to not only achieving the highest safety standards of any heavy manufacturing industry but are also leading in advancing safety practices,” said SCA president Matthew Paxton. “The shipyard industry is no stranger to the essential protective equipment our nation and world has become accustomed to which allowed for our hardworking essential workforce to continue operating during COVID-19. On behalf of the 650,000 members of the American maritime industry, we salute the shipyards and repair facilities for their continuous dedication to the health and safety of our workforce.”

SCA member companies are eligible for a Safety Award if they submit the SCA Injury & Illness survey for all four quarters, have zero fatalities throughout the year, and either have a total recordable incident rate (TRIR) below the SCA average, or if they reduce their year-on-year TRIR by 10% or more.

The following shipyards were recognized for their safety practices this year:

Receiving both the “Excellence in Safety” and “Improvement in Safety” Awards:

• BAE Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• Boston Ship Repair, a division of Northeast Ship Repair (Boston, Mass.)
• Fincantieri Marinette Marine (Marinette, Wisc.)
• Southwest Shipyard LP (Channelview, Texas)
• Técnico Corporation (Hampton Roads, Va.)
• BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair (San Diego, Calif.)

Receiving the “Excellence in Safety” Award:

• Metal Shark (Franklin, La.)
• Bollinger Shipyards (Lockport, La.)
• BAE Norfolk Ship Repair (Norfolk, Va.)

Receiving the “Improvement in Safety” Award:

• MHI Ship Repair & Services (Hampton Roads, Va.)
• BAE Hawaii (Pearl Harbor, Hawaii)
• Philadelphia Ship Repair, a division of Northeast Ship Repair (Philadelphia, Penn.)
• Conrad Industries (Morgan City, La.)

“Bollinger Shipyards is proud to have earned the SCA Excellence in Safety Award for the 15th consecutive year,” said Ben Bordelon, Bollinger President and CEO. “This exceptional achievement is attributable to and only made possible by the unyielding focus of our workforce to uphold our pledge and commitment to obtain the highest level of workplace safety in our industry. This year’s award is especially meaningful given the unprecedented times and challenges which we’re facing as a nation. I want to commend the resilience and dedication of our employees who, despite the threat of global pandemic, continue to work safely and efficiently. In the evolving field of occupational safety and health, Bollinger Shipyards remains committed to building a culture of safety excellence in the maritime industry.”

“Building on our exemplary safety record is something that we, collectively, have made a priority, and I am proud of our team and their embracing of this approach,” said Jan Allman, CEO of Fincantieri Marinette Marine.